WHEN WILL OSCAR LOVE BOLLYWOOD?

A movie buff usually plans the Oscars soirée in advance and spends hours glued to the TV screen rooting for his/her favorites.

I am however one movie buff who barely remembers the last time she sat down to watch the Oscars. My love for films and good stories currently only motivates me to follow the Oscar nominees for Best Foreign Picture and then the list of actual winners for all categories once the gala is over.  "Why?", I have been asked time and again. This would seem a simple question to answer but, upon second thought, it sort of opens a pandora box of thoughts regarding cinema in general, Academy award policies and, last but not least, Indian cinema.

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ROCKSTAR: A Rebel Sings

When Imtiaz Ali's film Rockstar released its first visuals and music, I was taken by expectation. Jab We Met is one of the Indian movies I always end up recommending to friends who are not Bollywood viewers, in the hopes of engaging them to watch more. I was therefore wishing that this new film would bring back the Imtiaz Ali I had appreciated, soon recommending Rockstar to friends I gathered could get bitten by the Bollywood bug.

First and foremost... and beyond any thoughts on the film itself, Rockstar is showcases how Ranbir Kapoor's acting keeps stepping a notch up with every film of his. I have seldom found an actor in India whom I like to watch if only to observe how his/her acting is evolving with each new character. And if there was still any doubt, the camera in this particular film truly says "Ranbir is the guy"!

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